October 14, 2014

The three sisters grew up not knowing their father and not quite catching a break. But it looks like their luck is about to change when they find out the secret identity of their long-lost dad—a billionaire Las Vegas hotel owner who wants them to come live in a gorgeous penthouse hotel suite.

Suddenly the Strip's most exclusive clubs are all-access, and with an unlimited credit card each, it should be easier than ever to fit right in. But in a town full of secrets and illusion, fitting in is nothing compared to finding out the truth about their past.

At seventeen years old, Peyton is the oldest Diamond sister. She’s been hurt in the past, but because of it, has developed a thick skin. She will do anything for her sisters, going as far as protecting them from their mom’s outbursts and getting home first from school to make sure everything in the house (including their mom) is ready for them. She’s tough, doesn’t trust easily, and while she has many people she hangs out with, the only people who she feels truly know her are her sisters. She doesn’t like school (she gets restless sitting in classrooms!) and can’t wait until graduation so she’ll be done forever.

Peyton’s a natural night owl, and waking up in the morning is a constant struggle. (Her sisters usually resort to throwing things at her to wake her up, and often yell at her to hurry up showering so they can have time for their morning routines, too.) She needs at least three cups of coffee to get going. She loves rock music, and can usually be found with an earbud attached to her ear, even during her classes. She loves partying and dancing and getting lost in the music. She also enjoys an occasional chill night of movies and television shows, as long as it’s not a rom-com chick flick.

She wears mostly black clothing—why bother with colors when black always looks hot on her? Her nails are usually painted black as well. She’s not afraid to speak up for what she believes in and she will always stand up for her sisters. She tries to not let anyone in to avoid getting hurt—but really she just wants to find that one person who cares enough to break down her walls.

ABOUT AUTHOR

Michelle Madow was inspired to write The Secret Diamond Sisters series while walking through her favorite hotel in Las Vegas. The next book in the series, Diamonds in the Rough, launches in October. Prior to The Secret Diamond Sisters, she successfully self-published The Transcend Time Saga. A tireless promoter of her work, Michelle is active on social media networks and has toured across America to promote her books and encourage high school students to embrace reading and writing. A graduate of Rollins College, Michelle lives in Florida ... but she loves going to Vegas.

October 11, 2014

Charlie Hanson has a clear vision of his future. A senior at Brighton School of Mathematics and Science, he knows he’ll graduate, go to MIT, and inevitably discover solutions to the universe’s greatest unanswered questions. He’s that smart. But Charlie’s future blurs the moment he reaches out to touch the tattoo on a beautiful girl’s neck.

The future has never seemed very kind to Charlotte Finch, so she’s counting on the present. She’s not impressed by the strange boy at the donut shop—until she learns he’s a student at Brighton where her sister has just taken a job as the English teacher. With her encouragement, Charlie orchestrates the most effective prank campaign in Brighton history. But, in doing so, he puts his own future in jeopardy.

By the time he learns she's ill—and that the pranks were a way to distract Ms. Finch from Charlotte’s illness—Charlotte’s gravitational pull is too great to overcome. Soon he must choose between the familiar formulas he’s always relied on or the girl he’s falling for (at far more than 32 feet per second squared).

*MAY CONTAIN SOME SPOILERS*
At first I was a little hesitant whether I wanted to read the book or not. It was compared to The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight, and you remember what happened with that. Not my favorite book, though I didn't hate it either. The main problem was I thought it would be about one thing, but as it turned out, it was about completely another thing!
Well, the same thing happened here, kind of. I expected the focus would be on Charlie and how he's a complete geek and completely fells for this girl, who is ill. It was a little bit like that, but something was missing.

Everything was just too.. mild. For example the synopsis describes Charlie's prank "the most effective prank campaign in Brighton history". It would be a completely different thing if Charlie pranked Charlotte's sister for the right reasons (like, for having fun etc.) but to take her attention off Charlotte? Really didn't get that.
And the whole pranking thing felt just a little awkward over all. As in this is actually funny haha vs. I'm trying to act as if this is funny.

I was also having hard time with their whole romance, cause I didn't really feel the vibe. Maybe there was some chemistry, but again I felt like things were really mild.
This was probably why I had no urge to finish this book. I usually read a little before going to bed and halfway through the book began checking the page numbers. Cause I felt like I had been reading this book for weeks and I was convinced I was nearly finished. As it turned out, I wasn't even halfway through which usually means it's way too slow-paced for me.

So overall, I loved the idea of this book, but as it turned out, ended up just liking it.

My thanks to Entangled Publishing for providing a copy for review!

ABOUT AUTHOR

Shannon Lee Alexander is a wife and mother (of two kids and one yellow terrier named Harriet Potter).
She is passionate about coffee, books, and cancer research. Math makes her break out in a sweat.
Love and Other Unknown Variables is her debut novel. She currently lives in Indianapolis with her family.

October 04, 2014

A reluctant vampire hunter, stalking New York City as only a scorned bride can.

Elle Dupree has her life all figured out: first a wedding, then her Ph.D., then swank faculty parties where she’ll serve wine and cheese and introduce people to her husband the lawyer.

But those plans disintegrate when she walks in on a vampire sucking the blood from her fiancé, Greg. Horrified, she screams and runs — not away from the vampire, but toward it, brandishing a wooden letter opener.

As she slams the improvised stake into the vampire’s heart, a team of black-clad men bursts into the apartment. Turning to face them, Elle realizes Greg’s body is gone — and her perfect life falls apart.